2018 Mount View High School Annual Report...Introduction The Annual Report for 2018 is provided to...

Mount View High SchoolAnnual Report

2018

8574

Printed on: 18 November, 2019Page 1 of 27 Mount View High School 8574 (2018)

Introduction

The Annual Report for 2018 is provided to the community of Mount View High School as an account of the school'soperations and achievements throughout the year.

It provides a detailed account of the progress the school has made to provide high–quality educational opportunities forall students, as set out in the school plan. It outlines the findings from self–assessment that reflect the impact of keyschool strategies for improved learning and the benefit to all students from the expenditure of resources, including equityfunding.

Desley Pfeffer

Principal

School contact details

Mount View High SchoolMount View RdCessnock West, 2325www.mountview-h.schools.nsw.edu.aumountview-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au4990 2566

Message from the Principal

As always, it is my pleasure to present the Annual Report for 2018 to our school community. As the first year of the 2018– 2020 Strategic Plan we again undertook a range of improvement measures aimed at further strengthening the threestrategic directions originally identified in the 2015 – 2017 Strategic Plan. The three strategic directions centre around theconcepts of positive wellbeing, student learning that is personalised and differentiated, and organisational effectivenessas a school. They are outlined in detail later in this report.

At the end of year Presentation Assembly I was particularly proud to announce the following achievements for 2018: • Our HSC results have continued to steadily improve every year, and this year was no exception. Not only are we

increasing the number of Band 5 and Band 6 results, but we have decreased the number of results in the lowerbands of achievement. The number of subjects in which the highest results have been earnt has also increased ashas the range of subjects in which our performance against the state averages improved. The 2018 HSC resultswere some of the best that the school has ever achieved.

• Inspired by our current school captains, we expanded our involvement in the White Ribbon campaign as aBreaking the Silence school with a full week of activities. Our Yr 10 Drama students performed a truly thoughtprovoking and original drama piece at the Cessnock Chamber of Commerce's White Ribbon Breakfast as well asour own assembly. The week's activities culminated in the installation of a significantly large White Ribbon sign inthe MPC. Positive and respectful relationships are expected and taught throughout the school.

• Our "Strengthening the HSC" strategy has been fully utilised and greatly appreciated by students accessing MsSchafer's support and guidance as well as the provision of a huge number of additional opportunities, programsand experiences from which students have enriched their studies further.

• Our school's commitment to the introduction of positive wellbeing practices and our support for young people whoexperience complex mental health needs was recognised by the Department of Education and we were invited toshare our knowledge at state and regional conferences and seminars.

• Our sportspersons have excelled in every endeavour; the number of school representative teams has increased,as has their success rate; and lunchtime sporting activities and check–in competitions have encouraged manystudents to get active, further supporting our school's participation in the PA4E (Physical Activity for Everyone)program and the 'be active' focus of the Five Ways to Wellbeing.

• Our students & staff continue to give to charitable causes and at the end of 2018, donated a huge amount offoodstuffs and toys to the local Salvation Army to help with their Christmas appeal. A large financial donation wasalso made to School Aid Trust for drought relief, as well as the Mark Hughes Foundation.

• Our Futures Centre is finally operational in their refurbished premises and provides targeted support to ourstudents and businesses as our young people move into the world of work or further education and training.

• We achieved a 100% completion rate for the development of Personalised Learning Plans for our Aboriginalstudents; our Junior AECG meets regularly and support for the increasing number of Aboriginal and Torres StraitIslander students in our school is always forthcoming.


• We have continued to improve our facilities and student access to resources with the installation of 15air–conditioners in learning spaces, the leasing of two new school buses, the provision of class sets of chromebooks and laptops, and the development of more collaborative learning spaces.

• The construction of an outdoor learning centre is well underway, now with a roof and flooring, providing anauthentic learning experience for our VET Construction students and has been heavily supported with funding bythe P&C.

• We promote community involvement & citizenship with our students and readily participate in, for example, AnzacDay, Remembrance Day, the RU OK campaign and the National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence.

• The school undertook a comprehensive review of bullying policy and practices by drawing on the expertise ofcommunity youth workers, staff, students and parents as they formed a review team to really open up theconversation about bullying – the report has just been finalised and findings will be released to our communityearly in 2019.

• Our school debating teams remain strong and this year regained the hotly contested Mayoral Debating Trophy, aswell as a staff team winning the inaugural David Clark Memorial Teachers' Debate against Cessnock High School.

• Our staff commitment to continual improvement and professional practice is supported through a strongprofessional learning program.

• Our school's commitment to excellence was measured against the School Excellence Framework and our ownself–assessment was validated by an external panel, with the elements of wellbeing and school resources deemedas 'excelling.'

• Lastly, our school's long–term involvement, and success, in the World's largest Science, Technology, Engineeringand Maths competition – the F1 in Schools program, continued. This year, our Yr 10 team Pentessellate again wonthe NSW state championship for the Professional class; and our Yr 9 all– girls' team Impro Racing, in their firstcompetition, came second in the Development class in NSW. Both teams have since competed at the AustralianChampionships at the F1 Grand Prix in Melbourne in March with Pentessellate finishing second in the ProfessionalClass, and Impro Racing finishing fourth in the Development Class, in Australia. Both teams are exceptionalambassadors for our school, for the Cessnock community and for NSW.

As Principal I am honoured to be charged with the responsibility of taking the school forward into 2019 and thechallenges and successes that we will undoubtedly encounter.


School background

School vision statement

At Mount View High School there has been a long–held commitment to 'delivering excellence, innovation and success'with a dual focus on academic and social–emotional learning.

Students are encouraged and supported to achieve their personal best and to become confident, creative young peoplewho are well–equipped to embrace the challenges and demands of contemporary society and to build our community forboth the present and the future.

Since 2014 the key message to staff, students and our community has been "Step Up, Step Forward and Step Ahead"and that we can strive, personally and professionally, for "better than OK." These sentiments were expressed by thestudents most powerfully when they rewrote our school song, now entitled "Stand Up, Step Forward, Move Ahead."

Moving into the current three year strategic plan our school's vision statement was refined following consultation with thewider school community. It now states: "Mount View HS is dedicated to developing an innovative, flexible learning culturethat is courageous and aspirational, with opportunities for all to thrive." The extent to which we are realising this visionstatement is reviewed annually with our executive staff.

School context

Mount View High School is a comprehensive co–educational high school in Cessnock West. It has a steady enrolment ofapproximately 940 – 1000 students from a diverse socio–economic background. Approximately 13% of students identifyas Indigenous.

The school is committed to quality teaching and learning, and programs which support students' socio–emotionallearning. Mount View High School is beginning its journey into Positive Education with the introduction of the "Five Waysto Wellbeing" framework and is a member of the Positive Education Schools Association (PESA).

The school is well–recognised in the community, and beyond, for success with the F1 in Schools Program havingparticipated, with success, at state, national and international championships. Mount View High School is also aLighthouse School for Agriculture.

There is a strong culture of seeking improvement and commitment to raising aspirations and improving life experiencesfor the young people in its care. The school enjoys strong community support and is a well–resourced facility in anattractive bushland setting. Community partnerships exist with the Cessnock Chamber of Commerce, the Korreil WonnaiAECG, and the Beacon Foundation.


Self-assessment and school achievement

Self-assessment using the School Excellence Framework

All executive staff participated in an extensive program of self–assessment against the School Excellence Framework atextended executive meetings throughout the year. Achievement of the school's strategic directions were also milestonedat regular intervals throughout the year.

Working in small groups executive staff were provided with copies of each of the three domains of the School ExcellenceFramework. Extensive discussion ensued and written feedback was provided against each element of the SchoolExcellence Framework. These discussions were further implemented within faculties to ensure that all staff were able toexpress their views of the school's self–assessment against the School Excellence Framework.

Executive staff used this information to make the on–balance judgement against each of the elements of the SchoolExcellence Framework.

In 2018 the school underwent an External Validation of the school's achievements. Data sets of evidence were collatedas follows:

• Evidence Set 1 – Positive Wellbeing • Evidence Set 2 – Literacy and Numeracy • Evidence Set 3 – Curriculum • Evidence Set 4 – Strengthening the HSC • Evidence Set 5 – Supporting Student Learning • Evidence Set 6 – Organisational Effectiveness • Evidence Set 7 – Professional Learning

On the basis of evidence submitted to the external validation panel the following assessments were made:

In the Learning Domain, four elements were assessed as sustaining and growing, one at delivering, and one at excelling: • Excelling – Wellbeing • Sustaining & Growing – Learning Culture, Curriculum, Assessment, and Reporting • Delivering – Student Performance Measures

In the Teaching Domain, three elements were assessed as sustaining and growing and one at delivering: • Sustaining & Growing – Effective Classroom Practice, Professional Standards, Learning & Development • Delivering –Data skills and use

In the Leading Domain three elements were assessed as sustaining and growing, and one as excelling: • Sustaining & growing – Educational leadership, School planning, implementation & reporting, and Management

practices & processes • Excelling – School resources

The above–mentioned assessments represents an improvement on the overall self–assessment conducted in 2017 withthe addition of two elements ranked as 'excelling' – Wellbeing and School resources.

Refinements have been made to the 2019 strategic plan to both consolidate and focus on continued improvement foreach element.


Strategic Direction 1

Positive wellbeing

Purpose

Positive resilient learners in a supportive school community will be substantively engaged in learning. By 'feeling good'students are able to 'do good'.

Overall summary of progress

Positive Wellbeing continues to be a key focus and an area of considerable growth in our Strategic Plan. During theExternal Evaluation process the School Excellence Framework element of "wellbeing" was ranked as 'excelling'. Ourschool continues to be recognised as a school which places academic achievement and student wellbeing at the centreof what we do which is resourced accordingly. In mid 2018 we were invited to present a full day workshop for schoolsand Department of Education personnel showcasing our approach to responding to students with complex mental healthneeds. In addition to the very specific and targeted interventions for students with complex mental health needs orstudents at risk of harm, our positive education focus incorporating the Five Ways to Wellbeing framework, continues tobe of interest to schools and the Department more broadly. Our involvement in PESA (Positive Education SchoolsAssociation) has strengthened further as we hosted a Hunter–wide Positive Education forum and the Principal continuesactive participation on the NSW PESA Committee.

Progress towards achieving improvement measures

Improvement measures(to be achieved over 3 years)

Funds Expended(Resources)

Progress achieved this year

Increase the proportion ofstudents demonstrating anunderstanding and application ofthe "Five Ways to Wellbeing" asa framework for personalwellbeing as measured by preand post data collection.

Total expenditure for SD1:

$138,932

The Five Ways to Wellbeing framework is used asthe basis for Check–In (re–badged morning roll callsession) activities. Each of the five ways (Connect,Keep Learning, Be active and healthy, Take Noticeand Give) is addressed on a rotational basis withactivities to stimulate students' thinking about andcommitment to their personal wellbeing.Evaluations undertaken of check–in activitiesindicates that, where activities are conducted on aregular basis by the check–in teacher, thatstudents' understanding and application of thiswellbeing framework is enhanced. There has beena significant increase in the number of seniorstudents using the language of the Five Ways toWellbeing Framework in their election speeches tobecome school captain and this is also evident inthe student leaders' check–in group. Of further noteis the increase in staff use of the language of theframework. Staff conducting extra–curricularactivities often reference the Five Ways toWellbeing when explaining to students, or staff, thebenefits of the activity.

Increased proportion of studentsreporting a sense of belonging,expectations for success andengagement in learning, asevidenced in Tell Them From Meresults.

See above Tell Them from Me was not conducted in 2018. Thelast student data results in 2017 showed increasesin all indices of student belonging, connection toschool and engagement in learning. The 2019results will be reported in the 2019 Annual Report.

Increased demonstrated impactof professional learning andschool wide systems to supportstudents being engaged in theirlearning, as evidenced in analysisof key data sets.

See Above Evidence indicates that positive wellbeing practicesare now becoming further embedded in the life ofthe school. A revised scope and sequence forwellbeing support has been drafted; professionallearning in the Five Ways of Wellbeing is conductedat all full staff meetings to support staff andstudents' wellbeing; and a major emphasis on






Increased demonstrated impactof professional learning andschool wide systems to supportstudents being engaged in theirlearning, as evidenced in analysisof key data sets.

addressing and supporting students with complexmental health needs was evident throughout 2018.The school's success to provide additionalprofessional learning for staff in the area of mentalhealth and to develop collaborative and supportivestructures for students with complex mental healthneeds was recognised by the Department ofEducation by requesting that our expertise wasshared at a full–day seminar for Departmentalpersonnel and other schools. Approximately 80persons attended the seminar which was highlyevaluated by participants.

Next Steps

Whilst the intent of Strategic Direction 1 remains the same, the processes under which this will be achieved will be variedto reflect our ongoing commitment to, and growth in, the area of positive wellbeing. In line with the Department's 'everystudents will be know, valued and cared for' focus we will realign our processes into these three areas.

'Knowing' our students will include a greater focus on the use of VIA character strengths and trauma–informed practice;'valuing' our students will continue the focus on student voice and student leadership and improving our senior students'belonging to their school; and 'caring' for our students will continue to support a focus on student wellbeing supportprograms, positive education and the Five Ways to Wellbeing framework, and include a stronger focus on studentbehaviour for learning.

Staff wellbeing is also being introduced as a specific focus under this strategic direction and it is envisaged that adesignated staff wellbeing team will be formed.

There is also intention to continue to share our approach to student wellbeing at a state level both within the Departmentof Education, and through broader avenues such as PESA.



Personalised and responsive student learning

Purpose

Teacher professional learning underpins the creation of a culture which is personalised and responsive to studentlearning needs.


Initiatives, where progress has been identified, are Literacy and Numeracy Support, Curriculum Differentiation andAcademic Enrichment, Responding to Diverse SES needs, HSC Support and Classroom Observations.

Underpinning all teaching initiatives at Mount View High School is the 2018 Literacy and Numeracy Strategy whichutilises the department's policy to outline the key deliverables for our school. The teaching staff has engaged withNAPLAN data to inform and revise their practice. CESE provided professional learning to guide the school's executive inthe use of Scout to ensure thorough analysis of NAPLAN reports through this new portal. During 2018 teachers haveaccessed the online training and engaged with these data sets to coordinate performance improvement measures forstudents. Targeted interventions have been established as a result of the analysis of NAPLAN and other data sets. Thisintensive whole school program has demonstrated improvement in literacy and numeracy performance. Testing andevaluation of programs are ongoing, and the information is disseminated to staff for differentiation in teaching programs.

Through the identified need of targeted concentration on fostering the progress of our academically gifted students, theAcademic Enrichment policy was implemented in 2018 and allowed the scope of academic enrichment to encompasslearning experiences through an integrated approach. This resulted in strong community feedback through primaryprincipal meetings and direct communication from parents. Dedicated funding was allocated, and a range of strategieswas employed to deepen the learning opportunities of all students including those from diverse backgrounds. Teachersapplied for funding to subsidise opportunities for students, such as access to KLA specific competitions, excursions andsymposiums. This has resulted in increased participation in, and additional opportunities for students, from which positivefeedback has been received.

The implementation of a multi–layered HSC support strategy included the extension to fulltime employment of a seniorstudy tutor to support students' individually. The role of the senior study tutor included individual consultation with eachstudent to form a plan of action, assisting with study skills and assessment tasks and communicating with parents. Our'Strengthening the HSC' strategy allowed an extensive range of activities to deliver both academic and wellbeingsupports to students and parents.

The recently developed 'Classroom Observation Policy' provided a detailed outline of the procedures and protocolsexpected of all teaching staff of Mount View High School in accordance with the DoE Performance DevelopmentFramework and the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers. It included pre– and post–observation conferencesuggestions as well as classroom teacher and leadership observation templates. The use of resources from AITSL –Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership, allowed staff to share expertise and model best practice whileimproving the impact on student learning. The overall impact of processes and practices for Strategic Direction 2 hasbeen positive and will form the basis of continued planning to streamline and improve the delivery of these initiatives in2019.





There is an increase in thepercentage of Aboriginal andnon–Aboriginal students in thetop 2 bands in NAPLAN

Total expenditure for SD2.1:

$17,896

Funding has also beenexpended from AboriginalBackground Loading tosupport NAPLAN results

With the quantitative and qualitative data availableto all teaching staff, specific groups of studentswere targeted by our Literacy and Numeracy teamto receive individual and personalised supportthrough withdrawal programs in both disciplines.Identification of lower than expected growth was thedefining indicator for this action initiative wheregrowth targets were identified for individualstudents, using both NAPLAN and internal progressand achievement data.

While the percentage of students in bands NAPLANPrinted on: 18 November, 2019Page 8 of 27 Mount View High School 8574 (2018)





There is an increase in thepercentage of Aboriginal andnon–Aboriginal students in thetop 2 bands in NAPLAN

report indicates an overall decrease of 1%, there isan increase of 3% of students in the top two bandsin Year 9 Reading for 2018 with at least 35% ofstudents achieving in the top two bands forNAPLAN reading, writing and numeracy.

Sustain and improve thepercentage of students meetingexpected growth from Year 7 –Year 9.

See above From the students' perspective, literacy andnumeracy learning is experienced in everyclassroom and for some students, in targetedsmall–group and one–on–one sessions. Forteachers, the literacy strategy has its foundation inFocus on Reading (FoR) which is a common themeacross all classroom KLA's. The Literacy and Mathsprogram (LaMP) has produced evidence of studentgrowth and demonstrated the impact of thisimportant initiative within our school. The school'svalue–add data is not significantly lower than thevalue added by the average school and remainspositive with at least 90% of students achieving ator above national minimum standards on NAPLANreading, writing and numeracy while sustaining thepercentage of students meeting expected growthfrom Year 7 to Year 9.

All teaching programs includeadjustments andaccommodations with links toenrichment opportunities.

Total expenditure for SD2.2& SD2.3:

$19,893

In conjunction with an overarching strategy forLiteracy and Numeracy and the analysis of data, isthe recognition of adjustments to foster educationalaspiration and performance improvement. OurNCCD register is a dynamic and thorough processwhich is embraced by all teachers. The systemsestablished at the school have ensured not onlyaccess to equity for students, but access toinformation for teachers.

Working to support the numeracy withdrawalgroups is the QuickStart program. This intensiveinitiative was established with the specific goal oftargeting students with significant numeracy needsand operates successfully, as evidenced in the preand post testing results.

Subsidised support was provided to extend studentlearning opportunities and offer a wide range ofeducational enrichment activities.

Sustain and improve HSC resultsin terms of the number ofsubjects with positive school vsstate variation, and individualstudent results.


$60,584

In 2018, overall HSC results continued to improvewith 9 subjects with a positive school vs statevariation and a significant increase in the number ofband 5 and 6 results from individual students.

Our school gained 104 places in state rankingresults, outranking all other state and privateschools in the local area.

Increased student and parentsatisfaction with HSC supportstrategies.

See above Evaluative feedback from the feed–forwardinterviews and parent workshops and informationsessions indicated that students and parents feltsupported by the various elements within the HSCsupport strategy and that teacher/studentrelationships were a crucial element to studentperformance. Results indicate the consistent andsteady increase in value added data from 2012 –2016 from Year 9 NAPLAN results to Year 12 HSC.This data shows that student progress and






Increased student and parentsatisfaction with HSC supportstrategies.

achievement is consistent, and the trend is positive.

Staff report high levels ofsatisfaction with professionaldevelopment, including links toPDPs & strategic directions andare supported through classroomobservation.


$26,851

Funding has also beenexpended from designatedProfessional Learningfunding as reported on laterin the Annual Report.

A scope and sequence of all staff developmentdays and twilight training sessions for 2018 wasdeveloped in consultation with executive and facultyfeedback information. This demonstrated a strategicand planned approach to supporting theprofessional learning needs of all staff. It outlined afocus for each term to address the school plan andstrategic directions and included the themes of'Know Your Students',' Effective Teaching andLearning', 'Cultural Competencies' and 'PositiveWellbeing'. Staff reported feeling empowered totrack their personal goals and learning needs foraccreditation and maintenance as well as having aclear vision of the links between professionallearning, improving student learning and strategicdirections of the school plan.

100% of staff are engaged in theobservation process andfeedback to peers.

See above The implementation of the new ClassroomObservation Policy in 2018 included the alignmentof the policy with the Teaching Standards, theintroduction of a scaffolded template for classroomobservations and the removal of the TARS process.The policy was developed in Semester 1,implemented in Semester 2 and monitored,reviewed and evaluated at pivotal points. The useof the GROWTH Model as a simple yet powerfulframework for structuring post–lesson observationconversations gave staff the opportunity to engagewith colleagues to improve their practice.

Next Steps

One of the key changes for 2019 will be the addition of Formative Assessment as a separate focus. The importance ofraising academic achievement is a whole school initiative and will involve professional learning for all staff throughoutboth semesters.

The employment of an Academic Enrichment Class Coordinator will continue into 2019 with extended focus anddevelopment for all enrichment classes from Year 7 – 10.

Literacy and Numeracy support will continue to be prioritised as initiative 2.1. Learning Intentions and Success Criteriawill continue to be a school–wide expectation and will be supported by Focus on Reading strategies and the use of theSuper 6 literacy strategies. Data analysis will target specific support for students identified as below benchmark levelsthrough withdrawal groups, focusing on the Premier's Priorities and the implementation of the new Literacy andNumeracy Progressions. A focus on HSC Minimum Standards will ensure that all students reach the required benchmarkfor HSC attainment.

The allocation of funding to support HSC students and initiatives for low SES students will continue to be separated intotwo distinct processes and our multi–layered HSC support strategy will be further developed to enhance studentprogress and parent satisfaction with the Senior Study Tutor now employed full time.

Classroom and leadership observations will continue to support the sharing of ideas and expertise among teachersincluding modelling of good practice and provide opportunities to discuss challenges and concerns with colleagues. Thiswill continue to drive ongoing, schoolwide improvement in teaching practice and student results while buildingwhole–school accountability for the quality of teaching and learning occurring in the classroom.



Organisational effectiveness and quality professional practice

Purpose

To develop resources that are strategically used to achieve improved student outcomes and allow high quality servicedelivery. To develop administrative systems, structures and processes that support collaborative quality learning and theprofessional effectiveness for all members of our school community.


In 2018 progress was made in all aspects of Strategic direction 3 – Organisational effectiveness and quality professionalpractice.

Contemporary Learning Spaces

The Futures Centre and school gym went to tender and was consequently awarded. During the year a single contractworker set about completing the schedule of works commencing first with the Futures Centre. Despite a number ofdelays during this project it was eventually completed during the third term with communications and furniture fit outthereafter. The school gym commencement followed the finalisation of the Futures Centre. Disappointingly it too sufferedongoing delays. Incorrectly ordered stacking doors and variations to the contract including additional cement renderingand a re–sheeted ceiling were some of the major impacts.

Improvements were made to a TAS textiles space that provided a large collaborative cutting bench top, sink and storageareas. This improvement allowed for students to be more collaborative, working in larger groups whilst being able tomore effectively engage in observation of demonstration.

A range of furniture items and technology significantly improved the ability of students to collaborate in Mathematics andfor teachers to develop student centered pedagogies. Funding was provided to the HSIE faculty to develop a virtualclassroom space. The Mathematics class space and TAS textiles space are both in operation and being used to goodeffect.

Business and personnel management

Additional staffing including a Principal Support Officer, Faculty Support Officer (both of whom were employed as schooladministrative officers) and a Technical and Support Officer (TSO) were employed for the 2018 school year. ThePrincipal Support Officer position was highly effective and utilised by the Principal and both Deputy Principals. Similarlythe TSO time was evaluated that the current employment at 0.7 FTE was an effective amount of time to complete thetechnology based tasks required.

Technology for Teaching and Learning

A review of the previously purchased technology was made. The Chromebooks previously purchased for faculties werepositively evaluated. All sets were functioning well and being effectively utilised by all faculties. In 2018 the TAS andCAPA faculties were supported with negotiated technology supports. TAS had a class set of Netbook laptops andassociated trolley purchased to support the implementation of the new Tech Mandatory syllabus. CAPA had ten 27 inchiMac computers distributed across Music and Visual Art to bring their technology creative capacity up to industrystandard.

Across the school the remaining faculty based printer units were moved across to the current Fuji Xerox contract bringingincreased printing reliability and tracking capability.

Community Engagement and Communication Strategy

The Community Engagement and Communication Strategy team was formed during Term 1. Staff joined the team for anumber of reasons. Most staff were keen to see what reputation the school had within the community. Within the team,staff focused on the engagement of the community, businesses and students. The school perception survey was writtenand had undergone initial team approval. Due to a number of factors however it was not distributed across the schoolcommunity.

There was however a focus on migrating the school website to a new Adobe based platform. At this point in time thewebsite underwent a mini revamp. New features of the website were promoted across the school community. A number


of staff were professionally developed in how to edit the website on the new platform.





Planned learning space projectsare completed and in operation.

– Futures Centre $25,000

– Gym $80,000

– Air Conditioning $72,000

– 2018 classroom basedprojects $40,000

Futures Centre complete.

Air conditioning upgrade complete.

Mathematics collaborative classroom redeveloped.

HSIE virtual classroom commenced.

There is an increased number ofteachers who access andimplement technology to supportteaching and learning.

$48,400 CAPA has increased ability to deliver according toindustry standards. Teaching and learning iscurrently being adjusted to suit this new hardware.

TAS implementation of new Technology Mandatorysyllabus has been achieved. Programming currentlyunderway for 2019 implementation.

Leadership team andobservations confirm that specifictargeted practices are embeddedin classrooms.

$124,000 All reporting period deadlines have beenconsistently met with progressively decreasingerrors.

Faculties have been increasingly able to logassessment events on Sentral parent portal.

Faculties have been accurate and timely in meetingadministrative deadlines associated withAssessment Schedule formation and subjectselection.

Increased parental engagementand satisfaction withcommunication between schooland home.

$2,000 Community perception survey developed.

Website migrated to new Adobe platform. Miniredevelopment has occurred.

Next Steps

Contemporary Learning Spaces

Faculties will again be offered an opportunity to develop a learning space with a collaborative focus. $40,000 will beallocated in 2019 to achieving at least three new spaces.

The TAS staffroom was evaluated to be a substantially bigger project than first thought. A new development applicationis to be submitted looking to move towards tender. A review of costing has re–evaluated the timber store at $90,000. Theproject is to be semi separated from the TAS staffroom that has a budget of $60,000. The new estimates at $150,000 aresignificantly higher than the $75,000 that was allocated in 2018. In 2019 the budget will be adjusted to allow forcompletion.

A senior study is to be investigated at the rear of the library that would support the current HSC Strategy and make useof the now vacant Careers office.

The Mathematics staff room is to be evaluated for refurbishment with the aim of creating a variety of flexible work spacesto suit individual and collaborative staff work.

Investigation is to occur into the redevelopment of two HSIE classrooms into a multifunction collaborative space thatwould allow classes to work independently or in a collaborative team teaching situation.

Business and personnel management

It is recommended that the Principal Support Officer, Faculty Support Officer (both who were employed as SchoolAdministrative Officers) and a Technical and Support Officer continue to be employed for 2019 school year. The Faculty


Support Officer position is to be reduced to 0.7 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) based on usage rates in 2018. Busy weeks inthe calendar could see increases in time relevant to the need presented.

Technology for Teaching and Learning

Fuji Xerox along with other contracted services including Sentral, Edval and reporting setup is to be removed from SD3funding source as these are ongoing contracted services. In 2019 the technology needs from faculties are to beevaluated and then decisions made by the technology team regarding the 2019 expenditure.

Community Engagement and Communication Strategy

The Community Engagement and Communication Strategy team will re–establish with goals to develop an accuratecommunity perception and then a position statement from which to work forwards.


Key Initiatives Resources (annual) Impact achieved this year

Aboriginal background loading $131,083 The planned use of Aboriginal backgroundloading was very similar to the budgetexpended in 2017. In 2018 Aboriginalbackground funding was used to employ anAboriginal Community Liaison Officer for 4days per week. This was an increase of 0.2FTE from the previous year for this position.In addition an SLSO was employed for 4 daysper week to support Aboriginal students in theclassroom. Both staff members were alsoemployed for additional days during times ofgreater need, such as the Cultural Camp,NAIDOC day and critical times of PLPdevelopment. The school's AboriginalCommunity Liaison Officerand SLSO continueto develop significantly strong relationshipswith both the Aboriginal students at schooland the community. Co–ordination ofsignificant aboriginal programs within theschool, promotion of education and culturalopportunities and the co–ordination anddevelopment of the Junior AECG team allform aspects of their invaluable role within theschool. Other resource funding was allocatedto the running of significant programsincluding Cultural Immersion Day,implementation and delivery of both DeadlyStreaming and Sista Speak wellbeingprograms and transitional programs such asthe Cultural camp for current Aboriginalstudents and transitioning primary schoolstudents. In 2018 a new program wasintroduced called Young Mob. Young Mobhelps Koori youth to develop personal andprofessional skills such as confidence, conflictmanagement, positive thinking, goal settingand supporting others. At the same time,participants learn about their own culture andhave the chance to exchange knowledge withother Indigenous communities. Anindependent primary school transition daysfor our 6 into 7 Aboriginal students was alsoheld.

Low level adjustment for disability $442,557 Students at Mount View High School withadditional learning needs were supported by2.8 (FTE) permanently appointed Learningand Support teachers (LaST) and additionalteaching and SLSO staff employed throughlow–level adjustment for disability funding.Student data, including NAPLAN and theLiteracy and Numeracy Continuum, wasanalysed to determine student needs. Anintervention plan was then developed,implemented, monitored and evaluated tosupport students and their classroomteachers in maximising student outcomes.Additionally, Mount View High School createda Literacy/Numeracy class in both Year 7 and8 for students where data demonstrated thatstudents were achieving significantly belowbenchmark levels. This was supported by theschool timetable and staffing ratios enabling amore settled classroom environment andstability in staffing. The LaST team supports


Low level adjustment for disability $442,557 classroom teachers in the design andimplementation of a differentiated curriculumand assessment for these students. A LaSTand an SLSO were assigned to these classesto further enhance student access to thecurriculum via daily timetabled lessons.Students measuring below expected growthin recent NAPLAN testing were targeted in2018. They were invited to participate inadditional small group Literacy Interventionscalled the LaMP Program. LaST's pre–testedand then grouped students based on theirabilities. Activities in these groups aredesigned from Teacher skills and purchasedprograms such as Multilit, MacqLit andQuicksmart. They then delivered a range ofintensive interventions. These interventionswill continue to assist students in 2019.

Several classroom teachers participated inthe professional development courseUnderstanding Personalised Learning andSupport. They also had opportunity to visitpartner primary schools to observeinstructional leaders and innovativepedagogies in action.

Students with significant additional learningneeds, for example Life Skills students, werealso provided support via the LaST team withIndividual Education Plans driving thestudents' learning goals. The LaST teamsupport teachers in providing a differentiatedcurriculum in a mainstream classroom andensure assessment tasks provide opportunityfor the students to have equitable access toachieving course outcomes. In 2018, MountView High School's participation in theNational Consistent Collection of Data(NCCD) indicated that 122 students werereceiving learning adjustments according tothe parameters of the program. Support toteachers was also provided, by the school'sadministrative personnel, to collate and trackevidence of interventions, modifications andadjustments provided for each student.

Socio–economic background $965,983 As in previous years, socio–economicbackground funding was utilised to supportthe major initiatives of the school's strategicplan and its three strategic directions. Whilstmore specific information about the progressachieved in each area of the strategic plan isoutlined elsewhere in the Annual Report,some key highlights are outlined below.

Under Strategic Direction 1, 'PositiveWellbeing underpins student engagement'significant funding was allocated to theembedding of positive education practices inthe school. The Five Ways to wellbeingframework remains the key driver in thisregard and activities which support students'wellbeing are provided for staff to run throughthe newly–implemented 'check–in' time eachmorning. Many students are now familiar withthe Five Ways to wellbeing framework andthere has been a noticeable increase in the


Socio–economic background $965,983 use of the five ways' language – connect,keep learning, be active and healthy, takenotice, and give – by staff in regards to otherschool–based projects and initiatives. Theprovision of check–in activities has beenmonitored and evaluated throughout the year,further informing consolidation of this keyinitiative.

Of further impact has been the consolidationof the reforms in student leadership. Thestudent leadership group is now a dynamic,informed and increasingly effective voice ofstudents more broadly and have increasinglyaccess student leadership training, benefittedby staff mentorship, and identified andsuccessfully executed school improvementprojects such as the installation of chilledwater bubblers.

Strategic Direction 2, 'Student learningopportunities are personalised andresponsive to context and aspirations' hasbeen a further beneficiary of socio–economicbackground funding. At the end of 2018 therewas significant improvement in our HSCresults as evidenced by the number ofsubjects which had a positive school vs statevariation; the proportion of Band 5 and Band6 results for the cohort; and the improvementon 104 places on the SMH Leagues Tablewhich meant that we out–performed all otherstate and private schools in the area andmany schools across the Hunter region. Theprovision of additional opportunities to supportstudents' understanding of HSC syllabuscontent, as well as the beginnings of a moreformal strategy to strengthen and support theHSC, were highly successful.

Strategic Direction 3, 'Student and stafflearning is enhanced by organisationaleffectiveness and quality professionalpractice' remains are powerful driver to buildand develop contemporary, creative andsystematic practices across the school. Inaddition to the finalisation of the FuturesCentre and Gym, there was a number ofsmaller classroom learning spaceenhancements completed. Staff and studentsalike have benefitted from these new facilitiesand enhanced learning spaces and this isproving to be a key regenerative process inour school.

The employment of key support staff such asthe Principal Support Officer, TechnicalSupport Officer (TSO), and Faculty SupportOfficer have been key administrative supportroles that has enabled teaching an executivestaff to focus more on instructional andcurriculum leadership.

All processes / initiatives in the school's 2018strategic plan were identified by a fundingsource and amount and this information wasshared throughout the school to ensuretransparency. Funding provided under socio–


Socio–economic background $965,983 economic background has been well–utilisedto drive key improvements for students andstaff.

Support for beginning teachers $4,164 Research illustrates that the quality of theexperience in the early years of teaching haslong–term implications for teacher efficacy,job satisfaction and career length.

The 2018 MVHS Beginning Teacher Mentorprogram successfully provided experiencesand training to beginning teachers to assistthem in obtaining information, understandingsand skills related to the teaching professionand develop their capacity as educators andteam members.

Beginning teachers received guidance fromexperienced colleagues in a supportiveenvironment with time for collaboration andreflection, deepening their understanding ofevidence–based quality teaching practice.Opportunities were made available for themto engage in quality professional learningaligned to Australian Professional Standardsfor Teachers and develop a thoroughknowledge and understanding of therequirements for accreditation at proficientlevel. They were supported to access andunderstand policies and resources thatsupport beginning teachers and were able toaccess the resources from 'Strong Start GreatTeacher' and 'Teaching Standards in Action'website. Several teachers completed theiraccreditation this year. Most beginningteachers became very involved in the schoolcommunity, participating in extra–curricularactivities, coaching sporting teams, organisingHouse events, catering for school functions,organising and supervising excursions andworking with teachers, executive members,parents and community members in a rangeof programs and events such as the PositiveEducation team and Project 10. Theseactivities encouraged an excellent sense ofconnection with the school community and aclear sense of belonging.


Student information

Student enrolment profile

Enrolments

Students 2015 2016 2017 2018

Boys 470 446 473 476

Girls 488 468 473 493

Student attendance profile

School

Year 2015 2016 2017 2018

7 90.2 92.4 88.9 87.8

8 87.1 88.7 89.1 83.9

9 86.3 86 85.5 84.2

10 82.3 82.5 79.8 78.3

11 85.4 79.5 78.2 77

12 84.6 86.1 84.4 85.9

All Years 86.1 85.9 84.4 82.7

State DoE

Year 2015 2016 2017 2018

7 92.7 92.8 92.7 91.8

8 90.6 90.5 90.5 89.3

9 89.3 89.1 89.1 87.7

10 87.7 87.6 87.3 86.1

11 88.2 88.2 88.2 86.6

12 89.9 90.1 90.1 89

All Years 89.7 89.7 89.6 88.4

Management of non-attendance

Student attendance continues to be well supported atMount View High School with a dedicated Attendanceoffice, a specifically trained Attendance Team and anAttendance Officer. Mount View's attendance practicesand processes have been audited by both NESA andthe Department of Education in previous years andwere found to be exemplary. The aims of theAttendance office are to provide specialised monitoringand maintenance of all attendance matters. Thisincludes absentees, partial attendance and exemptionfrom school applications. Students and parents haveaccess to the HT Administration and the AttendanceOfficer via phone contact and more importantly, inperson via the Attendance counter.

Monitoring student attendance begins in the classroomwith online roll marking, during check–in. Live data ismonitored by the classroom teachers and Attendance

Officer in order to ensure the safety and location of allstudents. Parents may also view their student'sattendance via the Parent Portal on SENTRAL. TheAttendance Team and the Year Adviser also performregular checks of attendance data and liaise with thestudent and family regarding any concerns.

In all cases of non–attendance, families are notified viaSMS and in unexplained cases via email. Everyopportunity to explain absences is given to the studentsand their families via SMS, phone or by sending in anote with the student. Parents may also enter reasonsfor absence directly on to the Parent Portal. TheAttendance Officer is also made available to discussattendance matters with families at the Parent Teacherevenings in Semester One.

Students with less than 85% attendance are consideredserious and are referred to the HT Administration, whowill interview the student and sometimes make contactwith the family to work out strategies to best support astudent's attendance at school. In some cases theHome School Liaison Officer will also be consulted togain support.

Post-school destinations

Proportion ofstudents movinginto post-schooleducation, trainingor employment

Year 10%

Year 11%

Year 12%

SeekingEmployment

0 6.06

Employment 1.72 4.51 21.21

TAFE entry 8.04 13.56 6.06

University Entry 26.26

Other 5.17 0 1.01

Unknown 0 0 32.32

26 students from Year 12 applied for university entryacross 8 different institutions. All 26 students receivedan offer to study at university. 23 students received firstrounds offers for their first preference, 7 studentsreceived offers for their second preference, 2 studentsreceived third preference offers. 4 Students gainedearly offers from a variety of universities. 5 students inYear 10, 8 students in Year 11 and 7 students in Year12 gained apprenticeships. 2 students in Year 11secured full time traineeships and 1 Year 12 studentjoined the Royal Australian Air Force.

Year 12 students undertaking vocational or tradetraining

Year 12 students at Mount View High School wereengaged in the following VET frameworks: Hospitality,Retail Services, Construction Pathways, PrimaryIndustries (Horticulture) and Metals and Engineering.35 of 82 HSC student enrolments study a VET course;


this is equivalent to 42.68% of the year's cohort. In totalwe had 42 HSC VET enrolments. Of these enrolments:34 students study only 1 VET course, 6 studentsstudied 2 VET courses and 11 students are Year 11early commencement HSC Hospitality students.

Additionally, 3 students were enrolled in VocationalEducational courses at TAFE campuses in Cessnock,Kurri Kurri, Maitland and Newcastle representing 3.65%of the cohort.

Year 12 students attaining HSC or equivalentvocational education qualification

98 students completed all or part of their Year 12studies at Mount View High School in 2018. Thisincluded 16 students who sat for early commencementHSC exams in Hospitality or Mathematics. 79 studentsor 96.34% of the cohort met the requirements to beawarded a HSC. The remaining 3 students will beawarded a Record of School Achievement.

Workforce information

Workforce composition

Position FTE*

Principal(s) 1

Deputy Principal(s) 2

Head Teacher(s) 11

Classroom Teacher(s) 50.2

Learning and Support Teacher(s) 2.8

Teacher Librarian 1

School Counsellor 2

School Administration and SupportStaff

15.37

Other Positions 1

*Full Time Equivalent

Five percent of our permanent teaching andnon–teaching staff identify as Aboriginal and/or TorresStrait Islander.

Teacher qualifications

All teaching staff meet the professional requirementsfor teaching in NSW public schools.

Teacher qualifications

Qualifications % of staff

Undergraduate degree or diploma 100

Postgraduate degree 5

Professional learning and teacher accreditation

Approximately $162,000 was spent on ProfessionalLearning across the 2018 school year. These fundswere sourced from Professional Learning, Mount ViewHigh School's Resource Allocation Model (RAM)funding and Vocation and Education Training (VET)funds. All school staff participated in the three fullSchool Development Days and 4 twilight trainingsessions; one per term. The executive staff alsoparticipated in eight extended professional learningsessions across the year which included an executivepartnership with 'Cut Through Coaching andConsulting' designed to foster growth mindset,engagement and wellbeing in our students.

The staff development day training sessions are closelymapped to both the school management plan prioritiesand the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers(APST). This allowed staff to track and plan whichstandards needed to be addressed in their professionallearning for accreditation. The mapping documentsummarised the standards achieved across both staffdevelopment days and twilight training for the entiretyof 2018 and connected staff to professional learningstandard tracking, strategic directions, the school planand the School Excellence Framework.

Faculty Professional Meetings were held twice per termand were linked to the Department's professionallearning website (MyPL) to allow staff to record andmap the Australian Professional Standards forTeachers against their maintenance hours. Facultyminutes also recorded the domains of the SchoolExcellence Framework that were addressed in eachmeeting. Staff assessed their practices against theFramework to inform their further professional learningneeds for the most effective student impact.

There was also significant expenditure in the areas ofliteracy and numeracy including Focus on Readingliteracy strategies, syllabus implementation and careerdevelopment. Other topics included mandatorycompliance, CPR and emergency care training,Positive Education and Cultural Competencies. SchoolStrategic Planning and the School ExcellenceFramework guided discussion and planning in thepursuit of excellence and in preparation for ExternalValidation.

Professional learning for non–teaching staff wassourced and led by the Senior Administration Managerand included the development of ProfessionalDevelopment Plans (PDP's) which focused on bothwork and career goals. This fostered continuedupskilling of the administrative and maintenance staff inorder to achieve more effective processes andprocedures and build capacity for succession planning.


All staff professional learning sessions were evaluatedwith each separate session linked to APST's forindividual feedback. Questions also required commentson collaborative tasks and faculty planning andindicated where necessary the level of the collegialapplication during inter–school professionaldevelopment. This resulted in more effective planningfor future professional learning sessions and feedbackto support high–quality professional learningopportunities for colleagues that focused on improvedstudent learning. All staff now maintain a professionallearning log to assist with accreditation and links to theAustralian Teaching Standards on MyPL.

Financial information

Financial summary

The information provided in the financial summaryincludes reporting from 1 January 2018 to 31December 2018.

2018 Actual ($)

Opening Balance 1,309,438

Revenue 11,992,969

Appropriation 11,834,138

Sale of Goods and Services -38,143

Grants and Contributions 183,319

Gain and Loss 0

Other Revenue 6,711

Investment Income 6,944

Expenses -12,255,441

Recurrent Expenses -12,255,441

Employee Related -10,705,190

Operating Expenses -1,550,251

Capital Expenses 0

Employee Related 0

Operating Expenses 0

SURPLUS / DEFICIT FOR THEYEAR

-262,472

Balance Carried Forward 1,046,966

The financial summary consists of school incomebroken down by funding source and is derived from theschool Annual Financial Statement.

The 2018 school budget was prepared in line with theschool plan. The school's financial performance hasbeen monitored and adjusted where necessary, on aregular basis, to meet financial policy requirements.

Financial summary equity funding

The equity funding data is the main component of the'Appropriation' section of the financial summary above.

2018 Actual ($)

Base Total 8,565,501

Base Per Capita 186,381

Base Location 5,584

Other Base 8,373,536

Equity Total 1,543,818

Equity Aboriginal 131,083

Equity Socio economic 965,983

Equity Language 4,194

Equity Disability 442,557

Targeted Total 907,050

Other Total 309,982

Grand Total 11,326,351

Figures presented in this report may be subject torounding so may not reconcile exactly with the bottomline totals, which are calculated without any rounding.

A full copy of the school's financial statement is tabledat the annual general meetings of the parent and/orcommunity groups. Further details concerning thestatement can be obtained by contacting the school.


School performance

NAPLAN

In the National Assessment Program, the results acrossthe Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 literacy and numeracyassessments are reported on a scale from Band 1 toBand 10. The achievement scale represents increasinglevels of skills and understandings demonstrated inthese assessments.

From 2018 to 2020 NAPLAN is moving from a papertest to an online test. Individual schools are migrating tothe online test, with some schools attempting NAPLANon paper and others online.

Results for both online and paper formats are reportedon the same NAPLAN assessment scale. Anycomparison of NAPLAN results – such as comparisonsto previous NAPLAN results or to results for studentswho did the assessment in a different format – shouldtake into consideration the different test formats andare discouraged during these transition years.

Reading

Year 7 students produced overall growth greater thanstate averages. However, there are some largeindividual drops particularly amongst the highestachievers from year 5; 9/20 highest students from year5 regressed by year 7. Comparatively, all of the lowest20 performing students demonstrated growth.

Year 9 results indicated that performance was abovestate averages. There were 51.8% (nearly 7% abovestate average) of students who are at or aboveexpected growth. The value added progress of studentsfrom 7–9 at Mount View High School continues toimprove each year.



Numeracy

Year 7 results indicated that more than 58.9% havegrown at greater than or above expected rates. Only 17students did not experience growth. A large proportionof students are still in the lower 25 percentile. Inresponse to targeting improved student growth we haveimplemented streamed classes in Mathematics for Year

8 to assist in targeting the teaching of core numeracyconcepts at the ability of the students. This appears tobe working as more students are accelerating theirgrowth by Year 9. Student performance in the top twobands of achievement at Mount View High School innumeracy was well below state average. Thisproportion is largely unchanged from previous years.

Year 9 students were above average state growth, butnot substantially. More than 62% of students achievedgreater than or equal to expected growth. In 2018 therewas no focus on whole school numeracy, or even withinthe Mathematics faculty specifically. In response to thePremier's priority for Numeracy, for 2018 Mount ViewHigh School purchased MangaHigh as an onlinesystem that uses automatic differentiation and gamesto encourage engagement and improvement. This hadled to work with students who were identified asachieving lower than expected growth with a targetedprogram based on individual performance. Only 8students did not experience growth in Year 9.

The current Year 9 Indigenous students were thelowest performing Year 7 cohort in the past 5 years,and while improving their results, they are still belowstate average. All Aboriginal students havedemonstrated growth in Year 9, with 80% have greaterthan expected growth. As with Year 7 results, studentperformance in the top two bands of achievement wasbelow state average.

Students were identified from the data that were notexperiencing expected growth. These students areintended to be withdrawn during Year 7 and 8 toprovide additional support to have these students reachtheir potential. Similarly, the gap between school andstate performance in the top two bands of achievementwill become a focus for improvement in the school's2019 Strategic Plan.


The My School website provides detailed informationand data for national literacy and numeracy testing. Goto http://www.myschool.edu.au to access the schooldata.

The proportion of indigenous students in the top twobands has been hovering around the 10% mark. This

year the result is 1.5% lower than last year, with only9.06% of students sitting in the top two bands. Therehas been a steady decline in year 9 of studentsattaining the top two bands.

There is a renewed focus in 2019 on monitoring andimplementing strategies to support the students whoare our strongest candidates. While average schoolperformance is improving, students in the top twobands are stagnating.

Higher School Certificate (HSC)

The performance of students in the HSC is reported inbands ranging from Band 1 (lowest) to Band 6(highest).

Overall, when the size of the Year 12 HSC cohort isconsidered, there is not only continued growth in ourHSC results but significantly so for the 2018 academicyear. The school's results outperformed all local publicand private high schools and many similar schools inthe Hunter region.

Nine HSC subjects achieved results that were betterthan state average, including Ancient History, Biology,Community and Family Studies, PDHPE, SeniorScience, Construction, Hospitality, Metal andEngineering, and Retail Services. This is a slightimprovement since 2017. Many other subjects receivedresults that were close to state average, includingBusiness Studies, English Extension 1, HistoryExtension, Music 1 and Primary Industries.

Band 6 results were achieved in Advanced English, 2UMathematics, Business Studies, PDHPE, SeniorScience, Modern History and 2U Mathematics General.In some subjects multiple Band 6 results wereachieved. Band 5 results were also strong andachieved across a range of subjects.



Parent/caregiver, student, teachersatisfaction

Each year schools are required to seek the opinions ofparents, students and teachers about the school. Theirresponses are presented below. In 2017 the schoolsought the opinions of parents, students and teachersabout the school using 'Tell Them from Me' (TTFM)results. The TTFM Survey included ten measures ofstudent engagement, categorised as social, institutionaland intellectual engagement. This report providesresults based on data from 718 students in this schoolthat participated in the survey between 20 Mar 2017and 04 Apr 2017. The number of students by year levelis shown in the chart below.

Results indicated 54% of students in our school have ahigh sense of belonging (3% increase from 2015) and76% have positive relationships (only 2% less than thegovernment norm). 87% of students indicated positivebehaviour at school which is on par with governmentnorms. 61% of students have a high level of academicself–concept and believe they can do well in theirschool work.

Institutional engagement suggests that students feelwhat they are learning at school is directly related totheir long–term success, and this view is reflected intheir school and class attendance and their effort indoing homework. Levels of institutional engagement atMount View High school are on par with NSWgovernment norms. Students are more intellectuallyengaged when their level of skills is consistent with thechallenges presented to them in their classes. Theschool mean for positive learning climate was 5.8 (0.2higher that government norms) and 7.0 for expectationsfor success which is on par state wide.

Mount View High School staff were surveyed on theeight drivers of student learning which includedleadership, collaboration, learning culture, datainformed practice, teaching strategies, technology,inclusive school and parent involvement. The reportprovides results based on data from 51 teachers in thisschool who participated in the survey between 26 Aug2017 and 06 Sep 2017. Staff indicated that they workwith school leaders to create a safe and orderly schoolenvironment and talk with other teachers aboutstrategies that increase student engagement. Theirlearning culture indicated that staff set highexpectations for student learning, set challenging goalsand give students feedback on how to improve theirperformance on formal assessment tasks. Whenteaching strategies include the presentation of a newconcept, teachers try to link it to previously masteredskills and knowledge while giving students opportunitiesto use computers or other interactive technology fordescribing relationships among ideas or concepts.Teachers establish clear expectations for classroombehaviour and work with parents to help solve problemsinterfering with their child's progress. Their commitmentwas further evidenced by actively engaging inprofessional learning activities and satisfactionindicated in the evaluation of School DevelopmentDays.

The Partners in Learning Parent Survey was based ona comprehensive questionnaire covering severalaspects of parents' perceptions of their children'sexperiences at home and school. The survey includedseven separate measures, which were scored on aten–point scale. The TTFM report provided resultsbased on data from 64 parents in this school whoparticipated in the survey between 17 Aug 2017 and 04Oct 2017. Parents indicated that they feel welcomewhen they visit the school and 36% of parents indicatedthat they had either attended meetings or talked with ateacher about their child's learning or behaviour overthe year. Parents indicated that they encourage yourchild to do well at school and that teachers expectedtheir child to work hard. 68% of parents were satisfiedwith the communication between school and home andindicated that the school has a good reputation in thelocal community.

Policy requirements

Aboriginal education

In 2018, Aboriginal students at Mount View High Schoolengaged in the formation of comprehensivePersonalised Learning Pathways (PLPs). PLPsidentified student learning goals and the subsequentstrategies used to assist them in achieving these goals.A range of activities supported the engagement ofAboriginal students in this process and others. PLPswere subsequently uploaded to student and parentportals to improve the engagement and connectionbetween school and home. A well attended culturalcamp was held that also served as a transition for Year6 students from our various partner primary schools.The annual cultural immersion day for Year 7 studentssupported a celebration of Aboriginal culture andeducation during NAIDOC week. This was marked by aformal assembly and involved participation from thelocal AECG (Aboriginal Education Consultative Group).Significant aspects included a smoking ceremony priorto the assembly and Aboriginal dance performed byAboriginal students from Mount View High School andjoined by both indigenous and non indigenous staff.Implementation of Aboriginal education occurs acrossall faculties throughout Stage 4 and 5 units of work.Additional funds were used to employ an SLSO tosupport junior Aboriginal students learning in theclassroom. Aboriginal student results continue todemonstrate the significant positive impact that thissupport has on student outcomes. The school's JuniorAboriginal Education Consultative Group were activeand provided advice on ways in which all students canbe educated about Aboriginal histories, cultures,perspectives and current Aboriginal Australia. Theirleadership in the school was acknowledged through theamalgamation of the induction of Junior AECG schoolleaders with that of the induction of school captains,vice captains and student leaders.


Multicultural and anti-racism education

Mount View High School welcomes and supports avariety of students and families from diverse culturalbackgrounds. Teaching programs in all KLAs havemulticultural threads, content and modes of delivery. Areview of the teaching and learning programs revealsthat cultural learning is taking place through physicalactivities, case studies, collaborative projects,discussion and application to real world scenarios. Ourschool community regularly supports annualcelebrations of key dates with a continued focus onrespect, fairness and tolerance. The schoolenvironment has been filled with images that carry keymessages and slogans via our students designingposters, banners and murals. Ms E Alder is the currentAnti–Racism Contact officer. She has worked withindividual students around anti–racism education,dignity and respect and aspects of self identity.

Other school programs

Student Leadership

Refinement of the Student Leadership model in 2018has seen a successful continuation of previousprograms and provided a platform for new and excitingdevelopments. Regular events such as visits to NSWParliament House, GRIP Leadership conference inNewcastle for our junior leaders and the HalogenYoung Leaders Day in Sydney for our senior leadersprovided opportunities to network with students fromother schools and explore how examples of leadershipcould be implemented at Mount View High School. TheInduction assembly for the student leaders and JuniorAECG executive was closely followed by a Leaders'Forum and planning day at Cessnock Performing ArtsCentre. A select group of students attended the UpperHunter Student Leadership Summit in conjunction withthe Where's There's a Will Foundation at MuswellbrookHigh School, returning with a fresh view on resilienceand empathy. The content of that summit tied in wellwith the contribution the students made to thedevelopment of Mount View High School's anti bullyingstrategy. Student leaders have contributed to various

other initiatives around the school and in thecommunity, including charity fundraisers andawareness campaigns such as White Ribbon, andplanning and review teams to implement positivechange at Mount View High School. Continuedengagement in a range of forums will see the groupdevelop their strengths and ability to provide a voice tothe wider student body.

Mount View Leo Club

Leo Clubs are a sponsored affiliation of Lions ClubInternational that encourages young men and womento serve others in their community and around theworld.

LEO stands for:

Leadership –as members acquire skills as projectorganisers and motivators of their peers

Experience – as they discover how team work andcooperation can bring about change in their communityand the world

Opportunity – as they develop positive character traitsand receive recognition for their contributions

Mount View Leo Club is a school based Leo Club inDistrict 201N3, which is sponsored by Cessnock LionsClub and has former MVHS principal Ian Anderson andformer deputy principal Peter Conroy as supervisorsfrom Cessnock Lions Club. The club started in 2013and has currently grown to 53 active members,including students from Year 7 to Year 12, and ex–students currently attending university. We have hadtwo Mount View Leo members be inducted into localLion Clubs in the last twelve months and they havebeen chosen for international exchange, as well ashelping out at Camp Kookaburra in Sydney (international camp for exchange students).

The Mount View Leo Club focus is to help in ourcommunity and within the school, with fundraising forthe Cessnock Salvation Army Red Shield Appeal,Jodie's Place, Cessnock Relay for Life, Hunter Handsof Hope and our local Ronald McDonald House. Othercharities are considered during each yearly programand help is given at local community events and at ourfeeder schools.

Meetings are held each fortnight at school and aGeneral meeting is held at the end of each term with allmembers and the NSW District Supervisor AndrewRobert–Thompson.


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